LIVE24SEVEN // Feature V I EWS – WI TH SANDR A PAUL Unbelievable!
What a difference a week makes says Sandra Paul, as she reflects on a previous year of political turmoil
As we neared the end of 2017, the world seemed full of doom and gloom.
In this country, Theresa May, the Prime Minister, was being torn apart by her party. The Opposition had obviously made a strategic decision to let the Tories take themselves down, because they appeared to go into hibernation.
The Brexit ‘deal’ was dead in the water as the divorce settlement – the payment the British people had to make to the European Union in order to leave - reached estimates of £55bn. David Davis, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (bit of a mouthful!) admitted no impact assessments had been made to anticipate what would happen following our exit. “You mean you haven’t a clue?” the Remoaners yelled. Each time the Brexit team went to Europe to secure a deal, they came back empty handed, and the European bureaucrats gave press conferences admonishing the UK for failing to cave in to all their demands. Each day we read that the British voter had been misled, and we were on the road to disaster.
Elsewhere, the outlook was equally gloomy. President Trump, in office for almost a year (I know, unbelievable, right?), had just declared Jerusalem the capital city of Israel and the PLO in turn called for a holy war. His war of words with North Korea escalated but did not stop Kim Jong-Un from launching a missile with the capability of reaching US soil. Speculation was rife across the globe that Trump either had denture problems or more worryingly still, dementia.
And then it snowed. / 60
All of a sudden, we started smiling and saying hello to one another. Everything appeared brighter and cleaner somehow.
The days before the snow saw Theresa May smiling along with European Council President Donald Tusk, as they appeared at a press conference together to say that the divorce was well under way, a settlement had been reached, and they were actively working on a ‘new’ relationship. The Prime Minister had apparently spent days and nights working to secure agreement for Irish demands that there will be no “hard border” between the Republic of Ireland and the North, if negotiations were to move forward and on to trading. Words like ‘confidence’, ‘significant progress’ and ‘breakthrough’, were used by the President in complete contrast to the negative comments used the previous twelve months.
As we reflect on last year, we can see that almost all the market’s worst economic and political fears failed to materialise in 2017, with the result that markets generally did well and some areas even began to look exciting. But there were enough lingering doubts to ensure that real confidence in ourselves didn’t happen either.
Yes, the Brexit talks dragged on, but the UK and US economy improved and Chinese growth held up, central banks largely remained accommodative, and those who tightened policy did so at a global pace. Global growth began to gather a little momentum, even as inflation remained subdued.
My point being, that real news or fake news in 2017 was so dismal that it was hard to see any hope or faith that we would come through it; that Britain would succeed despite all the ‘blah’ swirling around it. I’m always one who tries to see the glass half full, but this takes an active, positive decision to do so. It is easy to fall into the trap that everything is shite. Today it is snowing, and today I believe that in Britain we must hold fast to our belief in each other and our past history. We have always been knocked but have always fought our way back. Whether you agree with the Brexit vote or not, whether you voted for the current leadership or not, whether you are bothered or not – stop moaning. All you are doing is bringing others down. Life is too short and we have plenty to be thankful for. Here’s to a happy 2018!
Sandra Paul
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